A Place For My Head
by McCord
Summary: BtVSHP Harry has left the wizarding world, but feels the need the continue fighting evil. Will an offer from one of his college professors give him the opportunity he desires?
1. Sick Of You Acting Like I Owe You This

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To those out there that had the creative juice to do so for our pleasure, thank you sincerely from those who have derived much pleasure from these characters and stories. I am not getting any kind of financial profit from this endeavor.  
  
Timeframe and Spoilers: Through Season 7 for BtVS, OotP for HP. Takes place post-Hogwarts and post-Chosen. Harry will be pretty much the only significant HP character. Everything else will pretty much be the Scoobies.  
  
Pairings: Harry/Buffy, others undecided (Note: Giles will get some lovin', I just like the ole chap too much to leave him single)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some potential language and sexual situations. Nothing too much, though.  
  
Prologue "Sick of you acting like I owe you this"  
  
July 30, 2001  
  
Pants, shirts, shoes, undergarments, and toiletries flew from their various locations around the apartment and started packing themselves in the trunk sitting on the bed. Harry Potter watched the progress for a minute, then turned and plopped down at his desk. Scribbling at the parchment there, he thought back to the events that had led him to this decision.  
  
It had been just over a year since Voldemort died, for good this time, perishing at the hand of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore at the sight of his first defeat: Godric's Hollow. Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and spy for the Order of the Phoenix, had been able to covertly place a portkey on Voldemort's throne, knowing no one else would have the audacity to sit on the Dark Lord's throne. The portkey had transported the Dark Lord to Godric's Hollow, where the Order had set a trap. Dumbledore engaged Voldemort in a duel while Harry prepared the spell that would end the war for good. It had worked, but at a very high price.  
  
Albus Dumbledore, regarded as the greatest wizard alive, had paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the world.  
  
'The meddling fool always did anticipate everything, though,' Harry thought fondly. Finishing his letter, he folded it silently and placed it on the bedside table. Taking up the small pile of documents, he flipped through them quickly to ensure everything for his entrance into Oxford that fall was there. Satisfied, he looked around his flat one last time, picked up his bag and trunk, and disapparted.  
  
Pulling his cloak tighter around him, Harry stepped out of Gringotts. He patted the pocket that contained the muggle check for the entirety of his wizarding account. Where he was going, wizard gold didn't do any good. So, he had stopped by to empty his vault and have it all changed to muggle money.  
  
Dumbledore actually had known him way too well. Shortly after the war had ended, a letter had arrived for Harry from the late Headmaster, saying he had anticipated Harry wanting to leave the wizarding world, at least for awhile, and had arranged him a place at Oxford to attend university. Harry had almost chosen not to go just to spite his old mentor's meddling, but in the end decided it was what he needed at this time in his life.  
  
Walking through Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, Harry spied a small wizarding newsstand. Almost every magazine and publication had his picture somewhere on the front cover, and Harry was sick of it, all of it. The fan girls, the incessant chattering from whoever he might meet while he was out, and the awed stares and whispers as he strode through a crowd where setting his nerves on end. He just wanted a normal life.  
  
But Harry was smart enough to realize he would never have a normal life. Anytime anything bad, anything threatened the wizarding world, they'd look to him like the always had looked to Dumbledore. He didn't want that responsibility. He didn't want to be the savior anymore.  
  
Stopping at the entrance to muggle London, he glanced over his shoulder one last time, taking the world he had embraced so earnestly at 11. Now, at 21 and years of war, he turned and walked out, intending to never set foot in it again if he had anything to say about it.  
  
July 31, 2001  
  
Ron and Hermione Weasley opened the door to the flat in Hogsmeade, wanting to surprise their best friend on his birthday. The flat was eerily silent, and the couple didn't know where Harry could be. He almost never went anywhere on July 31, having to be dragged out to celebrate after all the years of neglect at the Dursley's. Ron frowned and moved toward the back of the flat. "I wonder where he could be."  
  
Hermione chewed on her lip nervously. "Harry?" The flat seemed empty, dead of life. Since the war had ended, Harry had decided to take some time for himself, time to recover and figure out where he wanted to go from there.  
  
And cry of anguish came from the bedroom, and Hermione rushed into the bedroom. Ron stood rigidly, paled face, and clutching a letter in his hand. Turning slowly, he looked his wife in the eye and softly uttered what Hermione already knew. "He's gone."  
  
A/N: So, worth a shot? 


	2. Somewhere I belong

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To those out there that had the creative juice to do so for our pleasure, thank you sincerely from those who have derived much pleasure from these characters and stories. I am not getting any kind of financial profit from this endeavor.  
  
Timeframe and Spoilers: Through Season 7 for BtVS, OotP for HP. Takes place post-Hogwarts and post-Chosen. Harry will be pretty much the only significant HP character. Everything else will pretty much be the Scoobies.  
  
Pairings: Harry/Buffy, others undecided (Note: Giles will get some lovin', I just like the ole chap too much to leave him single)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some potential language and sexual situations. Nothing too much, though.  
  
A/N: Thank you for the reviews and encouragement. Some people had some questions about timeline, so here's what I put together: HP book 7 would have ended in June 1998. Voldemort was killed (in this chronology) in 2000, and Harry started Oxford Fall of 2001.  
  
By my calculations, BtVS Season 7 ended about June 2003, making this chapter take place just a little less than a year after the series ended. Any questions? On with the show.  
  
==========================================================  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"I want to find something I've wanted all along, Somewhere I belong"  
  
March 1, 2004  
  
As the class dismissed, Harry Potter gathered his papers together and shoved them in his bag. Throwing it over his shoulder, he slowly walked behind the rest of the class as he made his way to exit the classroom.  
  
"Mr. Potter? Could you spare a moment?"  
  
Harry turned to see Professor Giles leaning on his desk, cleaning his glasses and waiting for a response. Harry had spent a good bit of time speaking with this professor about the material of the course, Mythology and Folklore of Ancient Cultures. He had heard that Professor Giles was an expert on demon and monster mythology, a former curator at the British museum, and one of the foremost experts on obscure and ancient relics in the world. Harry had originally signed up for the course since his experience in DADA and History of Magic might give him some previous knowledge in the subject, but he realized just how much he didn't know.  
  
It also made him wonder just how much about the world that this Rupert Giles did know. "Yes, Professor?"  
  
Giles moved over to the door and closed it softly. "Please, sit. I have something I want to discuss with you. And please, just call me Giles."  
  
"Giles?"  
  
"Yes, several of my former students seemed to have an... issue with authority. They refused to call me Mr. Giles, so they just started calling me Giles. I've gotten somewhat used to, and to be frank, fond of it. It's better than Xander's G-man, at the very least."  
  
Moving to his desk, Giles started shuffling some papers to the side, and pulled a large volume from his desk drawer. "How familiar are you with vampire lore, Harry?"  
  
Harry just shrugged. "Not too familiar. The mug..." Harry paused for a second. "Um, I mean, the popular myths, Dracula, and so forth." And the fact that vampires are real, but Harry wasn't ready to share that much information to a muggle teacher.  
  
"Ever heard of the myth of the Slayer?" Harry sat up in his chair a little. That was one myth that was covered in DADA. "By your reaction, I can tell you've heard of it."  
  
"Yes, I've come across it before. In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness."  
  
Giles sat down at the desk, resting his elbows on the desk and folding his hands together. Leveling his stare at the man across the desk from him, he seemed to be trying to read into his soul. "Harry, the reason I asked you to stay after class is that you are the best student in this class. I can also tell you've seen a lot, and you already have a lot of inner strength already built up." Leaning back in his chair, he gazed into the distance for a second, and then turned his eyes back to Harry. "How much do you believe in the supernatural, in the existence of demons, ghosts, and magic?"  
  
Harry thought for a second. "You'd be surprised how much I believe about that, sir."  
  
"Harry, what I am about to tell you must be kept in absolute secrecy. I trust you from the time I've gotten to know you, and believe that you are trustworthy. Do you understand?" At his nod, Giles smiled briefly. "Thank you. My job here at Oxford is really only a front. My purpose is to discover potential recruits for the organization I head up, known as the Watcher's Council. A Watcher's job is simple: to train, teach, and assist the Slayer in performing her divine duty."  
  
Harry sagged in his seat, rubbing at his temples. "So, you're saying the Slayer is real?"  
  
Giles raised an eyebrow. "Usually, most people ask about the vampire and demon thing first."  
  
"Well, I'm not most people."  
  
Giles chuckled. "No, Mr. Potter, you're not. I think you have potential to be a very good Watcher, and we are in desperate need these days. This time last year, in Sunnydale, California, the current slayer, along with a small army we had assembled, confronted the First Evil."  
  
"During the fight, a Wicca we had with us did a spell that activated all the potential slayers in the world. Unfortunately, most of the Watchers around the globe had been killed, and we are trying to rebuild. We have about 50 active slayers found, and only a handful of people qualified to be Watchers, most of whom were either former Watchers or participants in the battle against the First."  
  
Harry frowned. "Why me?"  
  
"Call it a hunch, Harry. I think very highly of you, though I have only known you for a short time. You're bright, you think well on your feet, and you are a natural leader. You're exactly what we need for the new Council."  
  
"May I take some time to consider it?"  
  
Giles nodded, and handed him the large volume he had taken out of his desk. "This is a book on the basics of the Slayer line, the role of a Watcher, and our responsibilities to the world. Some of the information is outdated now that there's no longer only one Slayer, but it will give you an overview. Take your time in deciding."  
  
Thanking his professor, Harry scooped up the book and moved towards the door. Pausing, he turned around. "Why do you do it? What motivates you to fight?"  
  
Pushing his glasses up his nose, Giles considered the question. "It used to be because it was my duty. The Council relieved me of those duties, but I kept fighting. Why keep fighting? Because those I loved would be in even greater danger if I didn't. So, I guess I fought because I love."  
  
Harry got a far-away look in his eyes for a second, and then nodded. "Thank you, I'll let you know."  
  
Giles watched the young man leave, wondering what his answer would be. He opened a file, and pulling out a letter written on wrinkled parchment.  
  
Rupert,  
I hope this letter finds you well. If you are reading this, then I am  
dead. Do not grieve for me, for I have lived a full and happy life.  
For the well-prepared, death is just the next great adventure.  
  
I have arranged for a young man from my school to attend Oxford. I  
know what you do and the fight you fight and I believe he could be a  
great asset to your cause. His name is Harry Potter, and he will be  
attending there through the 2004 academic year.  
  
Do this for me, and the favor you owe me will be paid. Peace be with  
you.  
Albus  
  
Giles folded it back up, and slipped it back into the file. Gathering his things, he slipped into his tweed jacket and turned the classroom's lights out. Striding through campus, he didn't notice the emerald green eyes scrutinizing him from an upstairs window.  
  
==========================================================  
  
A few hours later, Harry Potter found himself in a pub nursing a beer and pondering his life. He was happy at Oxford; it had been a wonderful break from the hectic life he had lived at Hogwarts. But he acknowledged his restlessness, and the fact that he truly could never be normal. All the years of war had instilled him a need to fight, for action, that couldn't truly be satisfied with a normal job.  
  
He had thought about being an Auror, and knew he would probably have been very good at it. On the other hand, he still felt cut adrift from the wizarding world, and knew that he never could truly be effective as an auror: kind of hard to be secretive and undercover with the a sign on etched into his forehead saying "I am Harry Potter, Conqueror of He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named."  
  
This was his chance. It was a chance to fight, not just for wizards and witches, but for everyone. He wouldn't be expected to be the savior, the one to end it all, just one part of a group of people fighting for good.  
  
And it would prove another thing to him. For a long time, he had wondering if the only reason he would have been able to defeat Voldemort was because the snake had transferred so of his powers to him on the distant Halloween night. This would be a chance to prove that the reason he could fight evil, to be able to win was because of his own abilities, not Riddle's.  
  
"All right then, Harry. Let's see if the Boy-who-Lived can truly handle a life of vampires, demons, and the forces of evil."  
  
A/N 2: Thanks again for all the reviews and encouragement. I hope you enjoyed. 


	3. Open Up My Mind

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
===============================================================  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"I wanna shut the door and open up my mind"  
  
August 15, 2004  
  
Thump. Thump. Thump.  
  
Dull sounds echoed through the training room as fist met canvas. Harry huffed a little as punch after punch thudded against the bag hanging in the corner. Sliding back a little, a hard side kick followed. With a twist, he turned and sent a back hand into the bag before following up with a roundhouse. Shifting back into his stance, he upped the pace of the workout, increasingly rapid strikes firing out at the bag.  
  
"You know, someone might mistake you for a Slayer with that kind of intensity." A pause followed. "Well, until they realized you didn't have any boobs."  
  
A dry chuckle came out as Harry turned towards the door. "Sarcastic as always, Faith. What are you doing up?"  
  
Grinning slyly, the Slayer glided into the room, stretching her arms over her head. "I could ask the same of you, tall, dark, and British. I'm used to being up this late, but I'm not on patrol duty tonight. Since I was up, thought I might get some work in." Arching over backwards, her hands touched the floor in a perfect bridge. "You've picked up on things quickly, it seems."  
  
When Harry had arrived at the Watcher and Slayer training center in Bath, he had no idea how much physical combat training he was facing. Giles had explained that new Watchers would be expected to be able to assist their Slayers in their duties, and that meant training. On top of hand-to-hand combat, there was both melee and projectile weapons training. And once every couple of weeks each Watcher trainee would be required to fight one of Slayer trainees. The rationale was that if you could at least keep up with a Slayer, you were capable of assisting in combat situations. It also ensured that the egos of the men didn't inflate to the point of foolishly trying to keep a Slayer from doing her duty because she was a "girl."  
  
"I've had some defense training in the past."  
  
Faith had bent forward, her hands on her feet, and she looked up in indignation. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you got here, Watcher-boy, you couldn't throw a punch that would harm a piece of paper."  
  
Harry just grinned. "I didn't say the training was in hand-to-hand defense."  
  
Faith shook her head in annoyance. "I know you're hiding something from us, but Giles trusts you. Actually, I kind of think he considers you his heir-apparent."  
  
"I don't know about that, but I will be looking forward to moving on to a real assignment. My combat skills seem to be almost there, but my demonology studies are coming a lot slower."  
  
Faith jumped a couple of times in place, the blood starting to flow nicely. "It ain't all fun and games, you know? There's violence, death, blood... with the occasional crap-the-world's-gonna-end moments. Up for a spar, Scar-head?"  
  
Harry grimaced. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that. Brings back bad memories." All he got in response was a kick towards his head that he ducked instinctively.  
  
"You beat me, and I'll stop." Grinning devilishly, she launched several punches towards Harry that he was able to dodge or block, the latter leaving bruises he knew would hurt tomorrow. He spun away from one punch, grabbing Faith's arm and pulling her towards him and tossing her over his hip. She immediately thrust her legs up into his chest and giving her enough space to flip to her feet.  
  
She ducked a straight punch from Harry and quickly jabbed him in the ribs, following up with an elbow to his shoulder blades that floored him. He rolled out of the way of the foot stomp towards his lower back, and swept her legs out from under her. Pouncing on her, he shot a knife strike towards her neck and paused just inches away. "Why'd you go easy?"  
  
Faith just grinned. "Just wondered what it would be like being pinned under you with those green eyes staring down at me," she said with a teasing note to her voice. Harry just laughed and moved to help her up.  
  
"I always figured you would prefer to be on top, Faith."  
  
"So you have learned something in your time here."  
  
===============================================================  
  
Several more months passed quickly. Harry was easily one of the top fighters in the Watcher class. He figured that out of the 8 recruits, he was one of the few to already have experience "fighting the good fight." He wasn't the best shot with a crossbow, but he was quickly growing very proficient in short-range and hand-to-hand combat.  
  
He struggled a lot more with the demonology classes. He had never been the most studious at Hogwarts, though his study habits had improved at Oxford. He had buried himself in the class work then, using it as a distraction from his memories of the war and the feeling of incompleteness without Ron and Hermione by his side.  
  
Here in Bath, though, he had found some people who befriended him. First and foremost was Robin Wood, former high school principal and son of a Slayer. They bonded, recognizing a kindred spirit in the other. They had both lost parents at young ages, and struggled with growing up with that sense of loss. He was just now going through the Watcher training, having to wait while he recovered from the wounds he had received in the fight with the First, then with helping Giles and the 'Scooby Gang' set up the new Council. His combat skills where already pretty good, but he needed to learn more in demonology and the supernatural before officially taking over as a Watcher.  
  
Faith had slowly become a friend, at first only because Robin had seemed to bond with him. She didn't trust easily, and sensed that Harry was hiding something from them. It took a while, but Harry finally convinced her that he was being true, even if he didn't share everything about himself. Or maybe it was just because he was one of the few of the males at the center that could take her over-the-top flirting without blushing four shades of red.  
  
His life seemed to be settling into a routine, but there was a part of him that deeply missed the world he had left behind. Well, not so much that world, but some of the people in it. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and the rest of the Weasleys he missed desperately. Part of him wanted to go by, just to touch base, but knew he didn't have time.  
  
New Orleans had seen resurgence in vampire activity in the past year, so a small team was being sent. He was on one of two Watcher and Slayer partnerships being assigned there. Robin and Faith would be coming along, Robin having finished his training and Faith rotating back into active field work. Harry had heard that Willow Rosenberg and her Slayer/girlfriend Kennedy would be arriving to take over for the leadership roles that Faith and Robin were vacating.  
  
His Slayer's name was Ashley Davis, a 16 year old whose Watcher had been killed by the Bringers the previous year. She had been able to get away, and the Council had not been able to find her before the First destroyed it. She had been found by Giles and the new Council, and felt she was now ready for active duty.  
  
He finished writing the letter in front of him, and looked it over one last time.  
  
Dear Ron and Hermione,  
  
I know that it's been awhile since you've heard from me; actually it's  
been since I left. I want you to know that I am well, and that for  
the first time in a long time I feel that I'm doing what I want to do,  
and not just what I'm supposed to do.  
  
The reason that I'm writing now is that where I'm going and what I'm  
doing is something that could possibly mean I can't contact you for  
some time. I always could before, and I didn't, but the very fact  
that I could meant that actually contacting you could wait.  
  
Well, it can't wait anymore. I just want you to know that I am fine,  
and that I love you two as much as I always have. I know in my heart,  
that even with me running away like I did, you will be at my side if I  
ever need. Thank you for being my friends.  
  
Good luck in your life together. If you have any children yet, please  
give them a kiss from their 'Uncle Harry.' I do miss you, and think  
of you constantly.  
  
Until we see each other again, Your friend forever,  
Harry  
  
Sighing a little to himself, he caressed the names of his two best friends. Folding the letter, he turned and gave it to the post owl he had gotten from the nearby Owl Post office. Watching the bird fly into the distance, he grabbed his bags, slung them over his shoulder, and strode from his dorm.  
  
Robin looked up from the trunk of the car they were taking to the airport. "You ready for this?"  
  
Harry breathed deeply, staring into the distance for a second. Turning to his friend, he smiled. "So, what do you say we go save the world?"  
  
A/N: There's chapter 3, the longest yet! And I think the best, but that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. 


	4. With You

Title: A Place for My Head  
  
===============================================================  
  
Chapter 3  
  
January, 2005  
  
"Harry! Get up!"  
  
A small body rushed into the second-story bed room and pounced on the bed, giggling. A disgruntled Harry Potter emerged from under the covers. "Ash, must you be so perky at..." He squinted towards the alarm clock. "Six thirty in the morning? Weren't you and Faith out on patrol late last night?"  
  
The sixteen-year old nodded eagerly. "Yep! I killed three vamps! Then we went and got mochas!" She frowned for a second. "Well, I have mochas; Faith had that disgusting black sludge people sometimes call coffee." She brightened again. "I haven't been able to go to sleep yet, and I figured that you being stuffy-Watcher guy, you'd be up early!"  
  
He just glared at her as he pushed his glasses onto his face. "That's it, no more mochas for you after patrol." He flopped back on his pillow and groaned. "Have you ever considered that if you keep coming and leaping into my bed all the time, people will start to talk?"  
  
Ashley just giggled and opened her mouth to start chatting incessantly again, when a voice joined in from the doorway. "You know, it's almost spooky being around her. It's like a freaky combination of perky-Buff and babble-Red." Faith strutted into the room and pulled Ashley out the room by her arm. "Let's go and let the Brit get dressed, mini-Scoob. Some training should burn off the last of your sugar high."  
  
"Merlin's beard, what did I do to deserve this?" His complaining aside, he was very fond of his Slayer. Sure, she was Lavender and Parvati rolled into one hyperactive package at times, but he couldn't help be amused by her. Not that he would ever tell her that.  
  
Actually, she reminded him a bit of Ginny Weasley, all spunk and fire. That where the comparisons between the two stopped. Ginny was red-headed, tall, and pale-skinned, whereas Ashley was brunette and petite. She had been taken from her parents at a young age when she was identified as a potential, and lived with her former Watcher for most of her life.  
  
The death of her Watcher had been rough, and it had taken a while for her to start to trust him. He knew she was afraid to open up, that letting him close then losing him too would be too much to bear. She tried to distance herself, but Harry knew from experience that's the last thing she needed. Even though he had left the wizarding world, he had known that without the help of his friends, he wouldn't have survived the war. He was hoping she'd open up, to allow him to be her support that helped keep her fighting, that helped keep her living.  
  
It had been a month after they had started their assignment that they had started to bond...  
  
===============================================================  
  
A shrill scream came from the bedroom down the hall, and Harry leapt from his bed, instinctively reaching for his wand on the bedside table. Coming up with a dagger instead, he stared at in confusion until he heard the soft sobbing start. Moving quickly into Ashley's room, he saw her sitting up in bed with her arms wrapped around her knees and rocking herself rapidly.  
  
Dropping the knife, Harry moved forward and touched her shoulder softly. "Ashley?"  
  
Pain exploded in his jaw as his head rocked back from the punch the young girl threw. He stumbled back into the wall, hand instinctively grabbing his cheek in shock. A horrified gasp came from the bed, and a small hand tugged him forward onto the bed. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl started sobbing again, and Harry pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Ash, it was an accident. You were disoriented from your dream, and you reacted on instinct."  
  
"You're not angry?"  
  
Harry pulled back and turned her toward him. Placing his hands on her shoulder, he spoke softly. "Ashley, look at me."  
  
Her tear-filled eyes turned towards him and she chewed on her lower lip in nervousness. Harry stamped down the homesickness that brought upon, as it was the exact same thing Hermione used to do when she was nervous or scared. "No, I'm not angry. Believe me when I say, I know what it's like to wake up panting, sobbing, and out of your mind from a nightmare. I lived with nightmares for most of my life; I still have them to this day actually." He tenderly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I know Emma's death hit you hard, and that you don't completely trust me. I can never replace her, and would never want to. I just want to be the best Watcher I can be, and help keep you alive. You're my priority now, Ash. You're my family, kind of like a little sister I never had."  
  
Ashley smiled a little at that. "Thanks Harry." He got up and watched her as she got back into her bed. Tucking her blanket up around her shoulders, he smiled softly.  
  
"Goodnight, Ash."  
  
He smiled and turned to leave. "Harry?"  
  
Stopping, he turned at looked at her expectantly. "You're my family now. You're all I have. Please don't leave me."  
  
Smiling reassuringly, he just whispered, "Goodnight, my Slayer."  
  
"Goodnight, my Watcher."  
  
===============================================================  
  
Harry shifted the crossbow in his grip, green eyes scanning the surrounding terrain silently. His slayer sighed, absently kicking her legs from her perch on the tombstone. "Shouldn't he have risen by now?" she asked, popping her chewing gum.  
  
Harry just rolled his eyes. "With your continuing chattering and the continual popping of that sticky gunk, it's no surprise he hasn't risen. He probably could hear you through all six feet of earth."  
  
Grinning to himself at the indignant look on her face, he started to turn away when he heard Ashley screech. A hand had thrust from the earth, grabbing her ankle and yanking her down to the ground. Pulling herself free, she rolled away and came up in a perfect defensive stance, having pulled a stake out sometime during her escape.  
  
The vampire pulled himself out of the ground, snarling at the teenager in front of him. Launching himself forward, he struck quickly with a few punches that were efficiently parried by the young girl before one landed on her sternum, rocking her backwards. The vamp followed up with a kick the sent her down and the vamp moved in for the kill only to be tackled by a black blur.  
  
Harry sprung to his feet, trench coat billowing out as the vampire recovered from his improvised shoulder tackle. "Stupid git, picking on innocent girls. You should be ashamed." The vampire struck with a hard right that Harry spun away from. Grabbing his arm, he moved into a judo throw that should have worked if not for a second vampire jumping him from behind.  
  
Ramming his head back, the second vamp yelled in pain as the head butt dislodged his grip on the Watcher. Ashley had recovered by then and had reengaged the first vamp. Harry spun, whipping a stake out of a pocket of his coat and moved in for the kill. The vampire he had head butted snarled and paced in a circle, eyes raking up and down Harry's form trying to assess any weaknesses. "Are you the one who turned him?"  
  
Not answering, the vampire attacked with a flurry of blows, most being dodged or blocked before one landed squarely in Harry's face and sent him tumbling. Shaking his head to clear it, he barely had time to look up before an ice-cold hand clamped around his throat. "Now you die!" A beastly snarl came from his face just before his eyes widened in shock and he burst into dust.  
  
Coughing, Harry looked up into the grinning face above him. "Ashley: 2, Harry: 0. I'm winning again!"  
  
Allowing himself to be pulled up, Harry brushed dust off of his clothes. "Why, yes you are. Not that fancy superpowers are any advantage or anything."  
  
Ashley just stuck out her tongue in response.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Harry sipped at his tea silently as he moved into the lounge, pausing in the doorway and groaning. "Must you watch that travesty this early on a Saturday morning?"  
  
Ashley's head flopped backwards over the edge of the couch so she could see her Watcher. "But Harry! It's the Power Puff Girls!"  
  
Robin Wood just laughed as he hurdled over the back of the couch, an apple and can of Coke in his hand. "You just don't know good entertainment, English."  
  
"And you've been hanging out with Gunn too much," Faith mumbled around a mouthful of cereal as she moved into the room with a bowl in her hands.  
  
"Bloody Americans," Harry just grumbled as he moved into the library and opened a large text about North American vampire cults. They had been trying to figure out exactly who has been running the activities here in New Orleans.  
  
"So what's the what?"  
  
Harry looked up as Faith plopped into the chair across from him. "Aren't you going to watch that... thing you three call entertainment?"  
  
"Nah, it's a rerun. Whatcha got?"  
  
Harry moved to the map of the city on the wall and pointed out a group of push pins. "I've been tracking where most of the vampire kills in the city have been, most of them happening here, near a fairly recent club called The Bronze..." He was interrupted by a loud shout from Faith.  
  
"The what?!"  
  
"The Bronze."  
  
"Harry, the Bronze was the only club in Sunnydale, the only kind of nightlife in the town, well any nightlife that wasn't undead."  
  
Harry frowned, staring at the map. "Do you think somebody created the club as some sort of sick memorial?"  
  
"Yeah, a memorial to one of the vampires favorite feeding grounds from the Hellmouth."  
  
===============================================================  
  
Faith just stood in the doorway of "The Bronze," staring around in abject shock. "Guys, this is freaky. It's almost identical, all the way down to the crappy band."  
  
Harry looked around in confusion. "So, if it's a replica of a crappy club, with crappy bands, why the hell is it this full?"  
  
As they moved further into the club, he noticed both Faith's and Ashley's hands gravitating to the weapons under their jackets. He felt like things were closing in on them, and he also reached for his sword and stake. "Actually, never mind. I think I know how." He glanced around at the faces staring at the small group. "It's a vampire club."  
  
That statement was like a signal of some kind because several vampires immediately charged the group, the leader dusting with a swipe from Faith's sword. "We've got to get out! There's got to be hundreds here!"  
  
Neither Robin, Harry, or Ashley answered as all three were trying to hack their way towards the door. Swords, feet, and fists were flying as vampires fell left and right, some dusting and others just wounded. A punch got through Harry's defenses, knocking him over and his sword clattering away. He was hauled up by a very large vampire who grabbed his hair and yanked his head to the side. "Feeding time."  
  
Harry hit the floor hard as the vampire became dust, and Robin helped him to his feet, dragging him towards the door as he tried to regain his bearings. Apparently Faith and Ashley had cleared enough of a path for them to get out, and they started sprinting down the street towards the car parked a few blocks away.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Harry hissed as Ashley placed a peroxide-soaked rag to the cut above his temple. "Oh, don't be such a baby," she chided and continued to dab at it.  
  
"Well, that wasn't one of our brightest ideas," Robin quipped as he finished bandaging his sprained wrist. "Apparently recon isn't one of our bright points."  
  
Faith finished her third slice of pizza. "So, what're we going to do about the Bronze?"  
  
Harry took of his glasses and pinched between his eyes. "Obviously, if they've been able to build up that large a group, drastic measures will have to be taken. I say we torch the club." Ashley's eyes widened in alarm, while both Faith and Robin just grinned at the suggestion.  
  
"Well, give it up for Ripper Jr. So, how are we going to go about it? Gasoline, C4, dynamite?"  
  
Harry shook his head, moving to a book shelf and scanning the titles. "No, each would be too easy to figure out what and who. Police tactics for figuring out arson have too much possibility to link us to it. What I propose is several of what I call 'flash boxes.' They are magically charmed items that will explode at the same time a ritual is performed. We place the boxes, come back here and do the ritual at night while the place is full of vamps, and boom."  
  
Faith laughed. "Magical vandalism and demolition? Damn, boy, what did you used to do?"  
  
Harry chuckled, finally finding the book he wanted and pulling it off the shelf. Riffling through the pages, he plopped it down and started scribbling a list out. "Robin, in the morning I want you to call Rosenberg and find out where the nearest magical item shop is. I need several items. Also, ask her to hack into the city planning office and get me the blue prints for the building so I do how many boxes I need."  
  
"No problem, it sounds like it could be exciting."  
  
Harry just grinned. "It's been awhile since I've blown something up."  
  
===============================================================  
  
Harry looked up from the text he was reading as Ashley knocked and entered the library. "Is there something you need, Ash? I thought you were in bed."  
  
She shook her head and tentatively sat down at the table. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
Harry looked at her for a minute before pushing his book aside and turning to face her completely. "What is it?"  
  
"How do you know about things like those bombs? Were you evil?"  
  
Harry sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Ash, what I'm about to tell you must not leave this room, okay?" At her nod, he continued. "Before I became a Watcher, I lived in a community of people who did magic. There was a war going on with a very evil wizard who wanted to rule the world. It was during this war, fighting against him, that I learned things like the flash boxes. There are some very bad memories there, and I try not to think about it a lot. I'm sorry if I scared you."  
  
She nodded, rising from her chair, and then paused for a second. Seeming to think to herself, she suddenly leaned forward and hugged Harry tightly. "I'm glad you're not evil." She left the library then, leaving Harry with an amused look on his face. Shaking his head, he went back to the text in front of him.  
  
A/N: There you have it, Chapter 3. Thank you for the encouragement. Don't know just when Buffy will come in, probably sometime in the next few chapters. 


	5. Now You See How Quiet it is All Alone

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To those out there that had the creative juice to do so for our pleasure, thank you sincerely from those who have derived much pleasure from these characters and stories. I am not getting any kind of financial profit from this endeavor.  
  
Timeframe and Spoilers: Through Season 7 for BtVS, OotP for HP. Takes place post-Hogwarts and post-Chosen. Harry will be pretty much the only significant HP character. Everything else will pretty much be the Scoobies.  
  
Pairings: Harry/Buffy, others undecided (Note: Giles will get some lovin', I just like the ole chap too much to leave him single)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some potential language and sexual situations. Nothing too much, though.  
  
A/N: Sorry about the delay! A combination of writer's block, a job change, and a week of a training retreat caused the delay. Hope it didn't effect the quality of where I'm trying to go with this. Guess we'll have to see.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Chapter 4  
  
January, 2005 Bath, England A few days later  
  
Rupert Giles sighed as he sunk onto the couch, taking a sip of his tea and flipping on the television. Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg practically pranced into the room, plopping on either side of him with way too much enthusiasm for 7 o'clock in the morning.  
  
Sighing to himself as they started to babble incoherently to each other, Giles flipped the television on and sipped his tea watching the international news. Few items caught his attention until a news on a suspected terrorist strike on the US was mentioned.  
  
He upped the volume, leaning forward while taking another sip. "....leans, authorities are baffled about the cause and motive for a suspected terror strike on a local night club just a few blocks from Bourbon Street. Witnesses say the building just exploded and that they saw nothing out of the ordinary before the explosion. No terrorist organizations have claimed responsibility. So far, no bodies have been found at the scene."  
  
Buffy frowned at the TV. "Well, that seems weird."  
  
Willow turned to look at the screen also. "Where did it take place?"  
  
Giles adjusted his glasses and spoke just before sipping his tea. "New Orleans I believe."  
  
"Oh! Then it's not a terrorist attack."  
  
Buffy and Giles just looked at Willow in question.  
  
"It's probably the vamp club that Faith's group was going to blow up."  
  
Willow flinched away as Giles promptly spewed tea all over her nightshirt.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Faith stretched at the kitchen table as Ashley rushed around, gathering school supplies. "I'm sooo late! Who knew that arson could make you so tired?" Faith just laughed at the girl and took a bite out of her pop- tart.  
  
"Better hurry there, mini-Scoob. Potter will have your hide if your Slayer duties interfere with school."  
  
"Actually, I'm just afraid my friend Hermione will show up berating me for not insuring she gets a proper educatioin," Harry said as he handed Ashley her backpack.  
  
"Bye everyone!" Ashley yelled as she rushed out to where Robin waited to take her to school. As a cover for the group, Robin had taken a job as a teacher in a nearby school, with Ashley attending classes there.  
  
Harry plopped down at the table, plucking a banana from the fruit bowl. He had just taken a bite when the phone rang. Looking towards Faith, who was studiously ignoring the phone in favor of her pop-tarts, he sighed and moved to answer it.  
  
"Hello?... Yes, Mr. Giles, it was us... no, we... Didn't Ms. Rosenberg explain anything about our plan?... That's correct, a magical explosive.... Something I picked up before Oxford... A little transfiguration, some charms, then pour a little energy into it... no, none of the others provided any magical power." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Who taught me the technique? A man named Albus Dumbledore... you've met him?... Yes, I am aware of the danger of certain magic, and am sure this didn't fall into that realm... Goodday, sir." Harry hung up the phone and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not some bloody amateur..."  
  
"Was that Jeeves?"  
  
Harry turned to Faith. "If you mean Mr. Giles, then yes, it was 'Jeeves.' He was worried about the effect of the magical toys we made, due to the experiences with Ms. Rosenburg." Harry sighed softly. "I'm just annoyed, him treating me like someone kid hopped up on dark magic."  
  
"Well, G has been very cautious about magic ever since Red tried to make the world go 'boom,' and rightly so."  
  
Harry just nodded. "Anyway, up for a spar later? I suddenly feel the need to burn some energy."  
  
Faith just grinned wolfishly. "You sure a spar's the best way to unwind? I've got some alternatives."  
  
Harry just chuckled, picking his plate up and moving towards the kitchen. "I'd be tempted Faith, if Robin wouldn't go a make a second go-round physically impossible."  
  
===============================================================  
  
Giles hung up the phone and turned to Willow. "Everything's under control. I still wish you had told me what he had planned before now."  
  
Willow grinned bashfully. "Oops?"  
  
Giles pushed his glasses up his nose. "Anyway, it seems the technique that Mr. Potter used was taught by a friend of mine, Albus Dumbledore. It was actually Albus that recommended Harry to me as a potential Watcher."  
  
Buffy turned slightly on the couch to better face her Watcher. "So, who's this Bumblebee guy? And how does this new Watcher know magic?"  
  
"That's Dumbledore, Buffy, and Albus was one of the most powerful wizards I have ever met. There are stories about a dark wizard arising during the Second World War, and there were rumors of him assisting the Nazis when their aims were compatible. I met Albus after, well, Egyhon, and he had a major influence on me as I tried to find my way back. It was during that time that I learned that this dark wizard, known as Grindelwald, was killed by Albus."  
  
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them while gathering his thoughts. "Sometimes I wonder what drove Mr. Potter to Oxford, where I met him. Apparently, Albus helped arrange his admission there, and I could tell immediately that Harry felt out of place. Part of me wonders what Harry saw and did before I met him. Add to the fact that I now know Harry has had some training from Albus in magic, which I have no idea how in-depth or advanced, well... it just adds to my curiosity."  
  
Buffy frowned. "Could he possibly be a threat?"  
  
Giles shook his head. "No, I trust Albus' judgment implicitly. I wish the bugger was still alive so I could inquire more, but alas. And I feel awkward trying to get anything out of Harry himself. He holds his past very close to his chest, for the most part. He'll mention names, and events, but only in the vaguest terms possible."  
  
While Buffy and Giles had been conversing, Willow had been fluttering over her keyboard. "Well, I found his records here in the Council archives from our standard background search on all recruits. Nothing major, grew up in Surrey, attending the local school until he was eleven. But, he then dropped out of sight until he was twenty and going to Oxford."  
  
Buffy moved to stand behind Willow, staring at the screen for a second. "That must have been the time he got his training, but where did he get the schooling needed to get into a place like Oxford?" Her gaze perused the mug shot in the profile on the screen, and grinned. "Faith said he was cute, but I think she understated the case."  
  
Giles groaned and rubbed his temples. "Females. Can't live with them. Can't shoot them."  
  
===============================================================  
  
A week later  
  
Harry jammed his hands further into his trench coat pockets, watching his charge pound on a vampire about 10 yards away. He fought down the urge to jump to her aid, knowing she could handle herself. Didn't make it any easier to ignore what Hermione had called his 'saving-people thing.'  
  
A 'poof,' accompanied by the follow up sneeze from Ashley, and the pair was moving through the cemetery again, moving to the next crypt containing a body that coroner's reports suggested might have been turned. "Finish your algebra?"  
  
Ashley just rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. Not much else to do in study hall since its hard making friends when all my free time is taken up with killing demonic creatures and saving the world from being overrun by evil," she stated, trying not to let the sadness creep into her voice.  
  
"Just checking."  
  
Harry sighed silently as she moved to stand before the door of the mausoleum, tapping her stake against her thigh. He knew she was lonely, and felt cut off from everything around her. What was the point of her saving the world if she couldn't live in it? He didn't want her to develop the martyr complex he had carried around the last few years of the war. It was what had cost him Gin.  
  
A few mintues later, the door of the crypt opened and Ashley emotionlessly staked the emerging vampire. "Ready to go home, Ash?"  
  
With a tired nod, the girl started trudging towards home, and Harry started to follow when he noticed a glint of something on the ground where the vampire had been dusted. Picking up a small amulet, he frowned and pocketed it. Following his slayer silently, he frowned at the slight slump of her shoulders.  
  
===============================================================  
  
Faith turned from the TV in the living room at the soft knock at the entry way. "Hey there, H, whatcha need?"  
  
Harry moved into the room, sitting softly on the couch with the Slayer. "I'm concerned about Ash."  
  
"She's not fitting in at school, right?" At Harry's nod, Faith sighed and flipped the TV off. "Harry, I was never a normal teenage girl, but for several years now I've hung around them. Feeling like she's not fitting in at times is part of the package apparently."  
  
"I know that, but this is different. With her calling, the feeling could grow to the point that she feels cut off from the world, that she's not a part of it. When that happens..." Harry removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly.  
  
Faith frowned, acknowledging silently the truth of his statement. "So, what do you suggest we do?"  
  
"If I knew, would I have come to you?" Harry snapped, then looked down sheepishly. "Sorry, didn't meant that. But my worry over Ash, combined with the strange amulet I found tonight makes Harry a mean puppy."  
  
Faith just looked at him funny. "Mean puppy?"  
  
"Sorry, must be my lack of sleep."  
  
===============================================================  
  
"You wanted to see me Giles?" Buffy said as she poked her head into the Watcher's office, frowning a little at the sight of Dawn and Vi sitting there also.  
  
"Yes, Buffy, we were just waiting for you. Please, sit."  
  
Buffy slowly sat down, folding her hands in her lap. "So shoot. What's the what?"  
  
Giles shuffled some papers, glanced at Dawn, then at Vi, then finally returning his gaze to the eldest Slayer. "I was about to give Dawn and Vi their information for their first field assignment."  
  
Dawn and Vi both squeeled, bouncing in their chairs. Buffy's eyes widened, slumping into her chair. "What?"  
  
"Xander's group has noticed an increase in activity on the Cleveland Hellmouth, and has requested reinforcements. I want to send someone with experience, so my first thought was you. I know you've said you're ready for field work again, but you've been out of the field for the past year or so, and I didn't want to throw you head first into that. That's why Robin and Faith will be reassigned to Cleveland, and Harry will take over as Senior Watcher in New Orleans."  
  
Giles cleaned his glasses before replacing them and continuing. "I want to send Dawn and Vi there for their first official assignment, but with Harry being the only real adult there," Giles ignored the indignant protests from the Watcher/Slayer team, "I want to send you to help out, and to readjust to field duty. Plus, I know both you and Dawn would like to remain together if possible." Buffy glanced at her sister, who nodded happily, and Buffy smiled gratefully at Giles in return.  
  
"Thanks, Giles. It's means a lot to us."  
  
"Secondly, with the increased activity in Cleveland, that means both senior Slayers will be in America if anything happens. You won't be too far away to help out if needed." Giles pulled out an envelope and handed it to the blonde. "There's your tickets, itinerary, and other pertinent information. You leave in two days." Buffy nodded, and the three girls stood and moved to leave the office. "And Buffy?"  
  
The slayer turned in response. "Yes?"  
  
The Watcher smiled softly. "I'll miss you."  
  
"Miss you too, Giles." She smiled, then threw her arms around her two young charges. "Come one girls. Let's get ready to return to the good ol' US of A." 


	6. Hearing Your Name, The Memories Come Bac...

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To those out there that had the creative juice to do so for our pleasure, thank you sincerely from those who have derived much pleasure from these characters and stories. I am not getting any kind of financial profit from this endeavor.  
  
Timeframe and Spoilers: Through Season 7 for BtVS, OotP for HP. Takes place post-Hogwarts and post-Chosen. Harry will be pretty much the only significant HP character, especially for awhile. Everything else will pretty much be the Scoobies.  
  
Pairings: Harry/Buffy, others undecided (Note: Giles will get some lovin', I just like the ole chap too much to leave him single)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some potential language and sexual situations. Nothing too much, though.

A/N: For some fanart inspired by this, check out the link in my profile to Twisting the Hellmouth.

* * *

January, 2005  
  
New Orleans, Louisiana  
  
The New Orleans branch of Scooby Central was quiet, the only noticeable sound being the rustling of pages as Harry flipped through a book and jotted some notes down. Faith and Robin had taken Ash out to show her a particular hot spot they had found that earlier that week while Harry stayed in to figure out where the amulet he picked up the other night came from.  
  
He slammed the latest of dozens of books shut, removing his glasses and rubbing at his eyes tiredly. The search was quickly turning up empty, and knew that his limited occult knowledge wasn't going to be sufficient. Resigning to his actions, he picked up the digital camera and snapped a quick shot of the amulet, moving to the computer in the corner of the library.  
  
Half an hour later, Harry rose from the cursed machine, grumbling. He finally got the picture away to Rosenburg back in Bath, and hoped that she and/or Giles would be able to determine what the amulet was or did. "It's time like this I wish they taught a bloody computer class at Hogwarts."  
  
He was just leaving the kitchen with a cup of tea, ready to head to bed, when something happened that hadn't happened for almost five years. Hissing in pain, his hand instinctively pressed against the scar on his forehead, he crumpled to his knees. Struggling against unconsciousness, he could barely sense the intense dark magical force rising in the city. He knew it wasn't Voldemort, but the amount of dark magic alone was playing havoc on the old curse scar.  
  
"Great, just what I need. Thanks Voldy, you gave me a built in magical warning system," he muttered just before slipping into darkness.

* * *

Bath, England  
  
Willow Rosenburg's eyes widened as she felt the magical force reverberating through the earth. She hadn't felt anything like this since, well, herself. Scrambling up from her desk, she dashed down the hall towards Giles' office. Bursting through the door, Giles and Buffy looked up from the papers they were looking at. "Willow?" Buffy asked, worried about the frantic look in her eyes.  
  
"I just felt a huge increase in the magical ether. It felt like it came from New Orleans." Buffy's eyes widened, and turned to Giles. The Watcher had already moved towards the phone, punching in a number and waiting for a minute. He placed the receiver back down and shook his head.  
  
"No one answered. They may all be on patrol right now..."  
  
Buffy interrupted him quickly. "Or something could have happened. How long will it take me to get there if I left right now?"  
  
"You'll probably get there sometime tonight. Willow, book Buffy a flight. Dawn and Vi will come in a few days as planned. I'll keep trying to reach someone." Buffy left for her office as a ping came from Giles' computer, and he moved to look at the email. "It's from Harry." He scanned it briefly. "It says nothing about this force, so either they don't know, or this was sent before anything happened."  
  
Buffy returned, holding the scythe in one hand. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"  
  
Willow groaned. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

* * *

New Orleans  
  
Harry awoke to a cool cloth being pressed against his scar, which was still throbbing painfully. He blinked his eyes to see a concerned Ash dabbing at his forehead, Faith and Robin standing behind her. "Been awhile since I had one of those." He sat up quickly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as Ash scrambled back. "How long have I been out?"  
  
Robin answered. "About fourteen hours. I had just gotten back, the girls were going to finish the last leg of patrol, as I had an early staff meeting in the morning about the transition when Faith and I leave for Cleveland. I found you convulsing on the floor, your hand pressed to that old scar of yours. You stopped thrashing soon after, so I moved you up here to your room."  
  
He rubbed his scar absently, picking his glasses up and sliding them on his face. Faith was practically twitching, and Harry knew she was about to burst with the questions she had. "Yes, Faith?"  
  
"What happened? And what's the deal with your baby scar throbbing like it was?"  
  
"I felt a powerful magical force, a very dark one. It's near, and it's not going to be pretty." He ignored the second half of the question, silently thanking Ash as she handed him a glass of water. He gulped it down, and made to move from the bed only to be restrained by the Slayers.  
  
"Hold it there, Brit-boy. You rest, and Ash will watch over you. B is coming early, and Robin and I will pick her up at the airpot. Apparently Red felt whatever it is that knocked you out."  
  
Harry just grumbled, feeling like he was back in the Hogwarts hospital wing. "I'm fine, I've had this happen before." He wanted to get out, see if he could track the power he felt. "I know, why don't you take Ash with you. I'll be fine on my own, and she really hasn't had a chance to get out between Slaying and homework. It's only the airport, but still."  
  
Ash grinned. "Yeah, Faith, can I go?" She turned the puppy dogs on the brunette, pouting a little.  
  
"Oh, no, mini-Scoob. If B and Pip's puppy eyes didn't work on me, there's no way yours will." She just continued to pout, and Faith just arched her eyebrow in response. It was actually Robin that caved.  
  
"Come on, Ash. Go get your jacket. We need to head out and get there early, due to security." Ash squealed quickly, and dashed out of the room. "Harry's right, Faith. She's been too cooped up lately. And she seems like she could really use a brief respite, even if it's just the airport. We can get dinner while we're there."  
  
Harry just grinned to himself. It's time to go hunting.

* * *

Several hours later  
  
Harry strolled down Bourbon Street, his magical senses stretched out as much as possible. This was a little trick Dumbledore taught him, one that the former Headmaster had used liberally to help him always know what was going on in his school. Well, this trick, and a lot of knowledge of just how teenage witches and wizards thought and acted.  
  
He absently rubbed his hand against the wand strapped to the holster in his left sleeve, eyes darting around for danger. He also kept aware of the weight of the sword strapped to his back under his trench coat, ready to draw either at a moment's notice. He really wished he had either Ash or Faith with him, but he knew neither would have let him out of the house for this recon mission, and he knew he was the only one that could find this threat, at least without Rosenburg herself here.  
  
His magical 'radar' pinged, and he suddenly turned down an alley, tracking the sudden magical signature that he had picked up. Moving quickly through the shadows, he pulled his wand and cast a quick Disillusionment spell on himself. He shuddered at the sensation of a cracked egg running down his body, then picked up his pace, continuing several blocks over.  
  
He cursed himself as he kept moving, sensing the power he was approaching. Since the battle with Voldemort, Harry hadn't wanted or needed to truly tap into his power, and suddenly wondered if he still had what was needed to take down someone this strong. That part of him that doubted just how powerful a wizard he was apart from Riddle's powers that were transferred to him railed at the thought of fighting what was up ahead.  
  
Pushing those thoughts away, Harry continued to moved forward and finally saw the person he was hunting. Disengaging the Disillusionment charm, he moved forward swiftly to the cloaked figure as it turned and whipped out a wand of its own.  
  
Wands were pressed into each other's foreheads, and emerald green eyes raged against the familiar cold grey staring back. Practically snarling, Harry ground out a single word.  
  
"Malfoy."  
  
The blonde sneered, his drawn face pulling unusually taut against his skull. "Well, my, my. Could it really be Potter? And what pray tell are you doing here, O Holiest of Holies?"  
  
The pair circled each other slowly, wands not wavering. "I could ask you the same, Ferret-face." Harry internally grinned at the snarl that insult produced.  
  
"Watch what you say, Scarhead. You have no idea what you're up against, of what I've learned since we last met."  
  
"And you have no idea just what I'm capable of Malfoy. If I remember correctly, you fled Tommy's service before the war ended."  
  
Malfoy just glared daggers at his old rival. "I knew the half-blood twit was going to lose. Everything was going down hill, had been since our fifth year. I always looked out for number one, and I knew his was the losing side. But I'm better; I'm pure. You'll get yours, Potter, and all those who you called 'friends.'"  
  
Harry suddenly struck out with his boot, catching Malfoy in the stomach and knocking him back. A quick flick of his wand, and Malfoy was sent tumbling head over heals into a pile of garbage. The blonde rolled to his feet, dropping into a dueling stance with his wand thrust forward. "You'll pay for that, Potter!"  
  
Harry just grinned, dropping into his own stance, wand raised over his head and left hand thrust forward. Making a come-hither motion, Harry just calmly replied with, "Bring it."  
  
TBC 


	7. I took what I hated and made it a part o...

Title: A Place For My Head  
  
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To those out there that had the creative juice to do so for our pleasure, thank you sincerely from those who have derived much pleasure from these characters and stories. I am not getting any kind of financial profit from this endeavor.  
  
Timeframe and Spoilers: Through Season 7 for BtVS, OotP for HP. Takes place post-Hogwarts and post-Chosen. Harry will be pretty much the only significant HP character, especially for awhile. Everything else will pretty much be the Scoobies.  
  
Pairings: Harry/Buffy, others undecided (Note: Giles will get some lovin', I just like the ole chap too much to leave him single)  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some potential language and sexual situations. Nothing too much, though.

* * *

Chapter 6

Continued from the previous chapter:  
  
Harry suddenly struck out with his boot, catching Malfoy in the stomach and knocking him back. A quick flick of his wand, and Malfoy was sent tumbling head over heals into a pile of garbage. The blonde rolled to his feet, dropping into a dueling stance with his wand thrust forward. "You'll pay for that, Potter!"  
  
Harry just grinned, dropping into his own stance, wand raised over his head and left hand thrust forward. Making a come-hither motion, Harry just calmly replied with, "Bring it."  
  
Curses started flying right and left, both wizards dodging, blocking, and casting effortlessly in an attempt to subdue the other. The curses themselves started out rather mild, mostly those designed to confuse and impede a wizard than do actually harm. Malfoy soon decided to up the ante.  
  
"_Reducto!_" Malfoy let out with a shout, and Harry threw himself to the right as the alley wall behind him exploded from the curse. Ignoring the debris battering at him, he flicked his wand towards Malfoy.  
  
"_Stupefy!_" The red light shot out of his wand, but Malfoy's hastily erected shield absorbed the power. But Harry hadn't actually planned for that curse to land, and had immediately sprung to his feet and dashed towards Malfoy.  
  
Striking out with a snap kick towards Malfoy's wand-hand, he instead connected with Malfoy's shoulder as the blonde man instinctively moved away from the blow. Staggering back, Malfoy blasted Harry of his feet with a banishing charm, sending Harry crashing into a dumpster.  
  
"_Crucio!_" Harry didn't have time to dodge, and grimaced as the Unforgivable hit him. Pain arched through his body, but he refused to give Malfoy the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Grating his teeth, he struggled to his hands and knees as Malfoy cackled at his pain, stalking towards his old rival.  
  
"How's that feel, Potter? Now you know who the better wizard is, you mudblood loving fool." Harry didn't dignify him with trying to respond, just flattened his palm just over the ground and whispered under his breath.  
  
"_Serpentsortia._" A soft glow appeared under his palm, and Harry hissed out towards the ground. "_Distract him._" The conjured snake leapt forward, clamping down on Malfoy's calf and breaking the curse. Harry struggled to his feet, reclaiming his wand and looking up just as the snake was kicked off and consumed by a fire ball from Malfoy.  
  
"Kind of sorry you showed that spell to a Parselmouth now, huh, Ferret?" Harry just grinned, stalking towards his left, wand held out towards his enemy. Malfoy just snarled again, then cast his next spell.  
  
"_Avada Kedavra!_" Harry hastily threw himself backwards, the green light flashing right where his chest would have been. Slamming into the ground, he grunted and lost grip on his wand, which Malfoy quickly kicked away. Bracing a hand behind him, Harry sat up and glared at the sneering wizard. "So, this is it, is it? Potter, savior of the mudbloods and muggles, killed in an alley by the next Dark Lord. This will speed up my rise to power considerably. Any last requests, Scarhead?"  
  
"Yeah, one." There was a flash of metal, and an agonized scream leapt from Malfoy's throat. Stumbling back in shock, the blonde stared at the lump where his hand used to be as Harry sprung to his feet, his sword held before him. "Clap."  
  
Malfoy stepped back defensively, snarling. "You'll pay for this, Potter." And with a sharp crack, he apparated away. Harry picked up his wand, then Malfoy's. Snapping the later in half, he dropped it by the severed hand and set both ablaze. Cleaning the sword, he sheathed it and tucked his wand away as well.  
  
He looked around, trying to figure out what Malfoy had been doing in this alley in the first place. He noticed a door on one of the old buildings was slightly ajar, and moved towards it slowly. Peering around quickly, he slipped into the building, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Faith, Robin, Ash, and Buffy returned to find the house eerily quiet, and Ash scrambled upstairs to see if Harry was asleep. Faith glanced around the library, and sighed. "Harry's sword is gone. Looks like he went looking for whatever caused the disturbance. Flippin' idiot."  
  
Buffy looked at her weird. "Flippin' idiot? Is that the best you can do?"  
  
The dark Slayer shrugged. "Harry doesn't like me swearin' too much around Ash. Cast a silencing spell on me for a whole day once. I quickly got used to not swearing as much as usual."  
  
Buffy grinned, trying to imagine Faith not being able to talk all day. "And you didn't beat the crap out of him?"  
  
"He's one of the few guys who will trade innuendos with me and not assume it's a come on. I actually like having the guy around. He's like a weird cross between Giles, Xander, and Angel."  
  
Buffy blinked, trying to imagine someone that was a mix of those particular people, and then shook her head. "Weird mental image there. Anyway, I guess we need to go look for him?"  
  
Ash returned from upstairs and confirmed that the Watcher-slash-wizard wasn't there, and they quickly formed three hunting parties, supplying Buffy with a picture of Harry. Though she had seen his profile shot before, she wasn't sure she could have picked him out in a crowd.  
  
It was decided that Robin would go with Ash to provide her backup while the more experienced Slayers would go out by themselves. Buffy pulled a duster from her bag, then tucked the scythe into a special holster that was made for it. Throwing the long coat over her shoulders, she disappeared into the night, hoping that this Harry Potter hadn't gone and done something stupid, like get himself dead.

* * *

Harry moved out of the shadows into the large room, glancing around as if expecting something to leap out of the shadows at him. Not sensing or seeing anything, he tucked his wand away and moved towards the large pentagram drawn on the floor. His magical senses were started going wild as he approached it, and he knew this was the cause of what he had felt that night. "What have you been up to, you slimy git?"  
  
Harry kneeled, touching the edge of the pentagram and wincing as pain stabbed through his scar at the amount of dark magic in the air. He glanced around, taking in the setup of the entire room, the aching familiarity of it tickling at the back of his brain. Something about the ritual that had performed that night was sending up a flag, and it had "Warning!" on it in big bold letters.  
  
Reaching into the hip bag at his side, he pulled out a camera and started snapping pictures. Early on in his time as a watcher, he had learned to always carry a camera for cases just like this one. Luckily, being a wizard meant that he could charm his hip bag so that no damage would be done to any items inside except from something that would probably kill him at the same time.  
  
Harry tucked his camera away with a sigh. "Bloody hell, what is so familiar about this?"  
  
"You won't live long enough to remember, blood bag."  
  
Harry spun, his wand appearing in his hand to face the dozen vampires that moved into the room and started to surround him. He cursed his luck, now wishing he had waited for the others to get back to the airport. Few wizards or witches had enough power to even cause a vampire to twitch, much less destroy one. He mind briefly flashed back to Moony's lesson on the creatures in third year:  
  
_"A vampire is a dead corpse possessed and animated by a demon soul. If you see one, a fire or sunlight charm will distract it enough for you to run. Few magic users can cast spells of sufficient power to damage a vampire."  
  
Hermione's hand shot up in air. "All the texts I read said the same, but the question I have is, Why?"  
  
Professor Lupin smiled briefly, and then his face turned serious again. "Our magic draws from the magical essence within ourselves. Vampires, though, are tied into the currents of dark magic flowing throughout all the earth. The power of a single witch or wizard is rarely sufficient to override that dark power. The only wizard I have heard of that went head to head with a vampire and successfully killed it with magic alone was Headmaster Dumbledore. Any other questions?"_  
  
Lupin's words echoed in Harry's head. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Harry tried to apparate away only to be pinned inside an anti-apparation field. The vampires just laughed, and the apparent leader spoke up. "Our master knew you couldn't resist investigating, so he sent us here and cast a spell that's supposed to keep you here. You're ours, wizard."  
  
Stepping back a little, Harry pocketed his wand racked his brain for a way out of this. "So the question I have for you is this: Why work for Malfoy? I know he isn't strong enough to destroy you."  
  
The vampires didn't answer, just continued to advance, when Harry noticed the same strange medallions that he had found in the cemetery around their necks. Filing the information away for later, he decided destroying the vampires took priority over figuring out the amulet.  
  
Harry snapped his right hand over his head, palm towards the ceiling. "_Lumos Solaris!_" A ball of sunlight shot up towards the ceiling, hovering there and blaring down onto the vampires. They all hissed as they started to smoke, but Harry knew it was only having the effect an overcast day would have had on them. Drawing his sword, he swung to his left and decapitated the nearest vampire, then struck out with a stake he had drawn after pocketing his wand. Two of the twelve vamps now dust and the others still recovering from the sunlight spell, Harry darted towards the door only to be grabbed by his arm.  
  
Swinging his elbow out instinctively, he connected with the vampire's face, then spun and sunk his stake into its chest. Spinning towards the other rapidly approaching vampires, he raised his sword and leapt towards them with a loud war cry.  
  
Hacking and slashing, Harry drove through the pack, decapitating two more before coming out on the other side. Their number dwindled by five, the remaining seven circled warily. They weren't expecting their prey to be such a difficult target. Harry ignored the pain from the various cuts and bruises he had got in the skirmish. He usually hurt more than this after a Quidditch match.  
  
Deciding to try and even the odds a little, Harry drew his wand and with a quick shout of "_Reducto!_" blasted the ground at the feet of three vampires, then kicked backwards into the gut of one approaching from behind. Spinning to his right he decapitated the other vampire. Hearing some struggling behind him, he noticed another vamp leap forward. Dropping towards the ground and releasing his sword, Harry gripped the lapel of the vampire and drove his feet upward, sending them into a head over heels roll. Coming out on top, he pulled a stake and quickly shoved it through its heart.  
  
Reaching out for his sword, he heard shuffling from behind and swung around, the blade slicing through the air only to be intercepted by a blonde wielding something that looked like a fire axe.  
  
"Harry Potter, is it?" The blonde smiled briefly, stepping back and relaxing her stance a little. Harry stiffly rose to his feet, the two prolonged fights catching up with him. Warily holding his sword before him, he took a step back and took in the petite blonde before him.  
  
The identity of the woman hitting him, he smiled and tucked his sword away. "Miss Summers, I presume?" The blonde snorted.  
  
"Oh, don't go all 'Henry Stanley' on me. It's just Buffy."  
  
"Very well, 'just Buffy,'" Harry grinned a little as the slayer scowled at the bad joke. "I appreciate the assist."  
  
She just grinned confidently. "It's this thing I do." She glanced around the warehouse, frowning at the pentagram on the floor. "So, I assume this is where the thing went down?"  
  
Harry nodded, kneeling as he stirred the cauldron at one of the points of the pentagram. "Yes, this whole room is just seeping with dark magic. It's starting to fade, though the urge to vomit is still there." Rising from his crouch, he brushed his slacks as he turned towards where Buffy was inspecting the other items around the room. "Something about this ritual is tickling my memory, but I'll..."  
  
"...have to consult your books." Buffy stated in a mocking tone, then laughed at the look on his face. "God, you really are Giles, Jr. aren't you?"  
  
Harry just snorted. "Hardly." He turned and moved towards the door, pausing before exiting the building. "I've got a much nicer behind."

* * *

The blonde wizard sneered from the roof top as he saw his nemesis and companion exit the building. The bloody ponce escaped again, and he lost twelve of his vampire slaves. And to only two people, only one of which was a wizard!  
  
"That's the slayer."  
  
Malfoy turned towards the demon at his side, sneering down at him. "What?"  
  
"That's the slayer that destroyed my former mistress." The minion frowned in anger. "I still can't believe the wonderful..."  
  
"....magnificent, all-knowing, all-seeing, invincible, blah, blah, blah, Glorificus was killed by a mere mortal. Yes, yes, I've heard it all before. Merlin's beard, why do I keep groveling annoyances like you around?"  
  
"Because I know who has want you want."  
  
Malfoy snarled, raising a knife towards the creature. "Than bloody well tell me!"  
  
The minion cowered a bit, pointing towards the blonde disappearing out of the alley. "She has it. She has the Key."  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Thank you, you've finally proven yourself useful." He turned to stare at where the pair had been. "Soon Potter, I'll have power that you can't imagine. Then you and that bitch will be the first to die."  
  
TBC 


End file.
